Are the Batman comics becoming less gritty?

[Kevin Roegele]

I read on Ain't-It-Cool News (which I apologise for now) that the Bat comics are moving away from the ultra-realistic, grim and gritty, everything-is-brown street crime style that they've been in for a long time. Since No Man's Land really.

If this is true, it's somewhat odd considering it's that style that Nolan is going for in his movies.

Note: By gritty, I do not mean 'dark'. I mean gritty.

 

[Fear of god]

I hope so! Englehard und O'Neil is the way to go.

 

[CConn]

Well, it is true DC is moving Batman away from acting like the, well, ******* he's been for a while. And yeah, Morrison's current run is very comic book-y, and reminisent of Batman's 70s comics, but Dini's comics still seem to be pretty gritty/grim.

Personally, I'm happy with it, and even prefer Morrison's style to Dini's.

 

[CConn]

As I said above, DC has been saying for quite some time they're taking Batman away from Miller's characterization.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

As I said above, DC has been saying for quite some time they're taking Batman away from Miller's characterization.

Interesting. They were moving towards The Dark Knight Returns for a long time there. Maybe we'll even see the yellow chest logo return.

 

[JLBats]

I... actually really like the direction the comics are moving in, and love the two writers on the books right now.

 

[CConn]

I hope you're reading Mad Monk too. That's extraordinary.

 

[bdsproductions]

while Batman was becomeing TOO much of a A-hole, i DO think he's become way too soft, it's becoming the silver age, the crime drama, and gritty darkness have pretty much vanished from Batman and almost from Detective. to me DArk Knight Returns and YEAR ONE, as well as Arkham Asylum and The Long Halloween THATS what Batman acts like, a tough, somewhat unstable, the orgy love child of The Shadow, Sherlock Holmes and Dirty Harry.

i don't really like "comic booky" comic books, at all, being a aspireing author of them, and currently working on a Batman fan comic i prefer for them to centre on the crime and psychological drama aspect of Batman.

 

[Morgoth]

I'm sick of the gritty Batman, that's not him. Some kids have seen a few comics like that and the geeks think that's all Batman's about.

He's a more stylized gothic hero, in a dark city more of a blue hue than brown, and I could care less about what Nolan does with his movies, he doesn't know a dang thing about the books and doesn't care.

 

[fabman]

what the heck are you saying morgoth... he knows and cares 'bout the books. anyway... good to see batman less a-hole, he was becoming a parody of his DKR persona...

 

[Prognosticator]

I'm less enthused about the "lighter" bats transition. But I'll continue to buy the books for now.

 

[Revovler]

I like that he is becoming less of an a-hole, for now. Sometimes I feel that he has been fighting crime all these years and nothing changes making him feel like this. Now one year later most of the streets are pretty clean allowing Batman to switch his attitude.

 

[Arach Knight]

I don't feel that Batman is truly gravitating in either direction. I think different writers are just going different directions with the character and the books. Then again, my Batman reading has been spotty like a pre teens period. But Robin Year One was only written what...three years ago? Dick got a Jason Todd style beat down from Two Face that left him in much the same way that Jason was left by Joker. Gotham Central more than carried on the grim version of Batman, and even brought back some of that old noir feeling that Batman TAS originally dealt in. I'm not sure if Gotham Central is still published though. The graphics I have read, date the originals back to 2004...so that was two years ago. But that is still relatively recent. I don't mind the occasional battle with ninja bats, but I do feel better when I see Batman truly in his dark and gritty world of crime bosses and freaks. It shapes the stories so well. That's what makes Year One, The Long Halloween and Dark Victory, such enjoyable tales.

 

[Kaizer]

...um, what he just said..

 

[Brian Braddock]

Morrison did say that he wanted to take Batman back to the way he was in the 70's, when he thought Bats was at his coolest.

Less paranoid basket - case, more dark-knight detective.

I'll try and find a quote - it may have been in Wizard.

EDIT: found it - From Newsarama.com

'Morrison said that he’s already plotted 15 issues, and in his first issue alone, he has 15 ninja man-bats as well as Talia, and the story is called “Batman & Son”. Morrison said Batman coming out of 52 OYL will be a more of a “fun guy, more healthy”, more like the “Neal Adams, hairy-chested, love-god” version of Batman.'

 

[MaskedManJRK]

I'm sick of the gritty Batman, that's not him. Some kids have seen a few comics like that and the geeks think that's all Batman's about.

He's a more stylized gothic hero, in a dark city more of a blue hue than brown, and I could care less about what Nolan does with his movies, he doesn't know a dang thing about the books and doesn't care.

Batman started out as a pulp comic, remiscent of The Shadow or The Phantom with only a superhero outfit akin to Superman.

Pulp is essentially a comic book version of the noir that was going on at the time, which were generally gritty affairs.

Therefore, Batman is gritty.

 

[The Leaguer]

I hope it's becoming less gritty. Morrison is writing comics the exact same way I love to read them: crazy super-heroic action with ridiculous plots. There's no other way to write a comic.

 

[Brian Braddock]

I hope it's becoming less gritty. Morrison is writing comics the exact same way I love to read them: crazy super-heroic action with ridiculous plots. There's no other way to write a comic.

Exactly. In recent years there seems to have been a need by some creators for their comics to be seen as 'viable literature' by the rest of the literary world; shaking off the 'comics are for kids' stigma that have dogged comics for decades.
They've taken on an almost adult sensibility (we're seeing things in comics now that wouldnt have been thought of 20 years ago) to the extent that some of the comics have lost that crucial ingredient that was ever present in the comics that we read when we were growing up........they were fun.

That's why I'm loving 'All Star Superman' at the moment, as well 'Batman', and 'Invincible' .

As you say, Morrison seems to be making getting back to that style of comic a personal crusade.

Long may it continue.

 

[CConn]

^ I agree wholeheartedly. I definitely wouldn't say there isn't any place for gritty or mature stories in comics - I definitely want comics to be as diverse as possible - but there should always be just some really fun superhero stories floating around. And as you said, Batman, ASS, Invincible are some of those. And I love them all.

Batman started out as a pulp comic, remiscent of The Shadow or The Phantom with only a superhero outfit akin to Superman.

Pulp is essentially a comic book version of the noir that was going on at the time, which were generally gritty affairs.

Therefore, Batman is gritty.

Not to mention the simple fact writers have gone back to his gritty roots time and time again.

What Morgoth should have said is that gritty isn't the only interpretation of Batman. I mean, some people have this view that Batman should be this uber-dark, lonely, miserable guy who fights crime. And while yeah, that's fine, it works in some stories, IMO at least, it certainly shouldn't be used in all the stories.

There's room for Denny O'Neil's Batman, and some lighter, more comic book-y stuff. And after really 20 years of DC sorta emmulating Frank Miller's dark and gritty stuff, a change back to the classic stuff is refreshing, I'd say.

 

[bestever23]

am I the only one that likes my batman gritty. I mean for a better word dark. I want batman dark. nothing like an ass to his teamates but an ass to the crooks

 

[The Leaguer]

Yes, you are.

 

[bestever23]

please Batman Is Dark.Shoot Do I really need the freakin 60s batman again. Look Batman Is no Superman and vice versa.

 

[Brian Braddock]

Exept your'e not getting 'freakin 60's Batman'.

It's really more of a nod to the 70's Batman.

Which, by the way, was cool as all hell, what with talent like O'Neill, Adams, Rogers etc..

 

[The Leaguer]

please Batman Is Dark.Shoot Do I really need the freakin 60s batman again. Look Batman Is no Superman and vice versa.

Wow, you totally just owned all of the zero people who wanted '60s Batman back!

 

[Fear of god]

Where do these "i want batman dark, violent, adult, gritty, dark, dark, dark, dark, darker than dark" people come from?